Le Normand rues suspension ahead of Madrid derby
Atletico Madrid defender Robin Le Normand believes a suspension for five yellow cards is overly harsh, having been ruled out of this weekend's huge LaLiga derby against Real Madrid.
Le Normand played the full 90 minutes as Atleti eased into the Copa del Rey semi-finals in midweek, crushing Getafe 5-0 in the quarter-finals.
Diego Simeone's team has now won 19 of its past 21 matches overall and another victory over its cross-city rival would take it to the top of LaLiga for the second time this season.
But Le Normand will be absent at Santiago Bernabeu, having received his fifth yellow card of the season in last weekend's league win over Real Mallorca.
Asked what he would give to feature in the derby after the cup win, he said: "A lot, but it's life, it's like that, five yellows for defenders are few.
"It's bad luck, I would have liked to play but now I have to trust my team-mates, we're going to get after them."
Atleti is chasing its first Copa triumph since 2013 and its first LaLiga title since 2020-2021, but coach Simeone will not get carried away despite their fine form.
"There's a long way to go, we have to focus on working in the best way. The healthiest thing is that those who come in, they come in to compete, whether it's 5, 10 or 15 minutes," he said.
"That contribution is what will differentiate us or not. If we maintain that competition, it gives us the possibility to continue on the path we are following."
